Rising temperatures could imperil future of Boxing Day Test cricket, report warns

Event may need to be played at night or in shoulder season as climate crisis exposes players and fans to unprecedented levels of extreme heat

The Melbourne Boxing Day Test may have to be played at night or moved away from Christmas to November or March as the number of extreme heat days rises over coming decades, a new report says.

The analysis by the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub says the climate crisis is already disrupting Australian cricket, citing the cancellation of club matches on hot days and the abandonment of a Big Bash game in Canberra after bushfire smoke reduced air quality and visibility.